A full-day workshop to identify the core elements of faith formation that will work in your parish and begin a 3 year plan for building formation across ages and stages. It's about durable, sustainable, team-based work to grow disciples across the generations.
In this program you will learn more about the vision and practices of lifelong faith formation, and how to create a plan for lifelong faith formation in your church. In Lifelong Faith: Formation for All Ages and Generations seven elements are essential for developing lifelong faith formation in the next decade and beyond—to transform faith formation in your church. These are elements that every church can contextualize and customize to their size, location, and diversity of their people. Using these elements to build lifelong faith formation requires committed leadership and a willingness to tap into the gifts and talents and energy of the whole faith community. In this hybrid program – an in-person full day workshop followed by several online design meetings and supported by resources – churches will develop and start to implement a lifelong faith formation plan that engages all ages and generations.
Goal
To develop a blueprint for lifelong faith formation in a parish, incorporating six seasons of life – children (0-10), adolescents (11-19), young adults (20s-30s), midlife adults (40s-50s), mature adults (50s-60s), and older adults (80+) – and design a plan to implement the blueprint over a three-year timeframe.
The One-Day Workshop will cover:
- Explore the building blocks of lifelong faith formation
- Form goals for maturing in faith for a lifetime
- Design a model of lifelong faith formation for your church
- Design programming for lifelong faith formation that incorporates life stage, family, and all ages intergenerational formation
- Develop a three-year plan for lifelong faith formation for your church
Monthly Follow Up Consultation Session on Zoom
Meeting #1. Review the three-year plan and build capacity for lifelong faith formation
Meeting #2. implement programming for Year 1 of the plan
Resource for the Program
Every participant should purchase a copy of Lifelong Faith: Formation for All Ages and Generations by John Roberto (Church Publishing 2022). This is the primary resource for the program.
Preparation for the Workshop
Every church team will be asked to prepare for the workshop by completing two preparation assignments. Each church will receive a guide for completing the two tasks:
- Create a profile of faith formation in their church today
- Develop goals for faith maturing in their church
Whose it for:
lay and ordained leaders who care about discipleship and formation for all ages in their congregations/parishes.
Cost:
$100.00 per parish team. Fee includes lunch during the workshop and follow-up sessions. Register here (you can add team members to one registration).
Presenter:
John Roberto has spent a lifetime working in Christian faith formation—teaching, writing, researching, and consulting. He founded Lifelong Faith Associates in 2006 to continue his work. His latest book is Lifelong Faith: Formation for All Ages and Generations (Church Publishing, 2022). His previous publications include Faith Formation with a New Generation, Families at the Center of Faith Formation, Seasons of Adult Faith Formation, Reimagining Faith Formation for the 21st Century, and Generations Together. His website is www.LifelongFaith.com.
Sponsors:
The Diocese of New Westminster, Anglican Church of Canada
The Vancouver School of Theology - Congregational Vitality Initiative